Use Lucidchart’s CSV import for process diagrams to create flowcharts quickly from a dataset. This article walks through the steps of formatting your data and importing it to generate a diagram.

This is an experimental feature. Some functionality may not work as expected.

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Set up the data

Before importing data, your CSV must meet these requirements:

Includes all required columns.
Each row has a unique ID.
Only supported shapes are used.
Shapes and shape libraries are spelled and capitalized properly.

Tip: To view an example of properly formatted data, click here to download a sample .csv file.

Example

As you read through the sections below, reference this example to see the correct formatting in action.

Input

Output
output-example-for-process-diagram-import-in-lucidchart.png

Required columns

The following columns are required when formatting the CSV file:

Id
Name
Shape Library
Page ID
Contained By
Text Area 1

Read the sections below for more details on each of these columns.

Id
Every row in the file needs a unique ID. It is recommended to start with “1” and count up for each new row.

Name
This column is for identifying the type of object being imported. These are the types you can include:

Page
Line
Supported shapes
- For shapes, you need to put the name of each unique shape option such as “Process” or “Swim Lane”. Check out the section below for a list of supported shapes.

Shape Library
Each supported shape included in the file needs to include the name of its shape library. Most supported shapes come from the “Flowchart Shapes” library.

Page ID
Each shape and line needs to indicate the unique ID for the page number it is on. See the example above, indicating that all objects are on Page 1.

Contained By
While “Contained By” is a required column, it only populates data for shapes that reside inside a container shapes, such as a swim lane.

For basic containers, this column only includes the ID for the container shape. For swim lanes, the column first displays the ID for the swim lane shape, followed by a colon (:) and the swim lane row where the shape appears.

In the example above, “2:1” indicates that the “Process” shape is contained within the first row of the swim lane (ID #2), and “2:2” indicates that the “Terminator” shape is contained within the second row of the swim lane.

Text Area 1
While this column is required, it only needs to include data if an item in the dataset includes text. For pages, this column is used for the title of the page. For shapes and lines, this column is used to indicate text within the shape or on the line.

Optional columns

The columns listed below are optional when setting up the data for your process diagram import:

Line Source
Line Destination
Source Arrow
Destination Arrow
Text Area [n]

Read the sections below for more details on each of these columns.

Line Source/Line Destination
This column is necessary for any “Line” rows in your dataset and should include the ID for the shape where the line originates and the ID for where the line ends. If the line does not end at a shape, this column should be left blank.

Source Arrow/Destination Arrow
This column is necessary for any “Line” rows in your dataset and should include one of the following options:

None
Arrow
Open Arrow
Hollow Arrow

This indicates the style of the line’s endpoint at the source and destination.

Text Area [n]
If a shape or line contains multiple text areas, this column should include those pieces of text. The dataset can include as many “Text Area” columns as needed.

Supported shapes

Process diagram import supports pages, lines, and a selection of shapes from the “Flowchart Shapes” library. The following shapes are supported:

Swim Lane
- Only horizontal swim lanes are supported for import, but can be manually adjusted on the canvas
Process
Decision
Terminator
Document
Preparation
Data (I/O)
Database
Delay
Connector
Or
Display
Note

Lines connecting the shapes listed above are also supported.

Note: The import will only work properly if the name of the shape and shape library appear exactly as they do above, including capitalization.

Import your data

Once your data is properly formatted, import your process diagram into Lucidchart by following these steps:

Open a Lucidchart document.
Click Import Data from the bottom of the Shapes panel on the left-hand side.
Select Process diagram from the navigation menu on the left-hand side of the panel that appears.
Click Import Your Data.
Select a CSV file(s) from your device.
Click Import.

Your process diagram will appear in the Lucidchart document.

FAQ

Can I indicate what text and shape style I want on my process diagram in the CSV file?
No. There is not a way to add style and formatting such as font and color to the CSV file.

Why doesn't my diagram appear exactly as I expected?
Lucidchart will interpret the data to make the diagram as logically as possible, but in some cases, particularly with complex datasets, you may notice overlapping lines, shapes, or text. In these cases, you can manually adjust objects on the canvas as needed.

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